| Mexican Spitfire at Sea | |
| Director: | Leslie Goodwins |
| Producer: | Cliff Reid |
| Screenplay: | Charles E. Roberts Jerry Cady |
| Starring: | Lupe Vélez Leon Errol Charles "Buddy" Rogers ZaSu Pitts Elisabeth Risdon Florence Bates |
| Music: | Constantin Bakaleinikoff |
| Cinematography: | Jack MacKenzie |
| Editing: | Theron Warth |
| Studio: | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Distributor: | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Runtime: | 72 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Mexican Spitfire at Sea is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Charles E. Roberts and Jerry Cady. It is the fourth film in the Mexican Spitfire series, which began in 1939. The film stars Lupe Vélez, Leon Errol, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, ZaSu Pitts, Elisabeth Risdon, and Florence Bates. The film was released on March 13, 1942, by RKO Radio Pictures.[1] [2] [3]
Carmelita Lindsay (Lupe Vélez) believes she's finally going away on a honeymoon, which she has been unable to arrange due to her husband Dennis's constant business deals. Dennis (Charles "Buddy" Rogers) secretly intends to use this ocean voyage to sell advertising to the well-to-do Baldwins (Florence Bates and Harry Holman), with help from his Uncle Matt and Aunt Della (Leon Errol and Elisabeth Risdon).
On the cruise, a quarrel with Carmelita results in Dennis being thrown out of his cabin and into another occupied by Parisian blonde Fifi Russell (Marion Martin). The Baldwins, assuming that Dennis and Fifi are man and wife, insist on arranging a meeting with British nobleman Lord Epping. Mistaken identities multiply thereafter, as Carmelita recruits Uncle Matt to pose as Lord Epping, and they both prevail upon passenger Emily Pepper (ZaSu Pitts) to impersonate Lady Epping. Further complicating matters, Carmelita and Dennis's business rival (Eddie Dunn) make Dennis jealous.
The multiple motives and identities become so scrambled that Uncle Matt is cornered. He desperately sounds an alarm, evacuating the passengers so he can escape in the confusion.
Variety called it "a two reeler padded out to 76 minutes."[4]